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February
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First naval attempt to force the Dardanelles. Twelve British and French capital ships are involved. The operation starts well but bad weather then intervenes.
The first shots are fired at 9.51am by HMS Cornwallis, a Duncan class battleship. The Canopus class battleship HMS Albion helps protect minesweepers operating west of the Gallipoli peninsula. HMS Amethyst supports the Albion.
HMS Vengeance replaces the Cornwallis later in the day, attacking the Orkanie fort.
The German S 13 class destroyer S 14 is destroyed by an internal explosion.
The Defence of the Dardanelles - From Bombards to Battleships, Michael Forrest. An excellent history of the British and French naval attempts to defeat the defences of the Dardanelles and reach Constantinople, supported by a wider look at the fortifications, earlier attempts to breach the defences, the role of the navy during the Gallipoli campaign and the post-war occupation of the Dardanelles [read full review]
